# If an actor's entire career had to be reduced to one role... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977 "2007-04-06T15:15:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/1 "2007-04-06T15:15:29Z")
…what role would summarize all the qualities that actor (male or female) has brought to her or his many efforts? A few to get it started: Gary Cooper: High Noon Robert DeNiro: Raging Bull Elizabeth Taylor: A Place in the Sun Jodie Foster: Silence of the Lambs ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/2 "2007-04-06T15:22:33Z")
Not what you’re looking for, but **Duncan “Dean” Parkin** – Cyclops His entire on-screen career consisted of playing giant one-eyed mutants in Bert I. Gordon movies. Kinda a niche actor > **[Duncan 'Dean' Parkin | Actor, Art Department](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0662784/)** > > Known for: The Cyclops, War of the Colossal Beast ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/3 "2007-04-06T15:27:44Z")
Boris Karloff: Frankenstein’s Monster Lon Chaney Sr.: The Phantom of the Opera Charlton Heston: Moses Bela Lugosi: Dracula Lon Chaney Jr.: Larry Talbot Anthony Hopkins: Hannibal Lecter Now, here’s a puzzler- Gary Oldman? ---
**Author:** ![Autumn\_Almanac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d26b3c/32.png) [@Autumn\_Almanac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autumn_Almanac)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/4 "2007-04-06T15:31:59Z")
Arnold Schwarzenegger: The Terminator. John Wayne: Ethan Edwards. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/5 "2007-04-06T15:33:22Z")
[QUOTE=FriarTed] Now, here’s a puzzler- Gary Oldman? [/QUOTE] How true. I’d nominate his roles in _The Professional_ and _True Romance_ but when your talent and skills are as diverse as his, one role is going to be hard to find. Others in that category: Meryl Streep Gene Hackman Judi Dench Tommy Lee Jones Robert Duvall Glenn Close Lee J. Cobb Bette Davis ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/6 "2007-04-06T15:40:18Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] How true. I’d nominate his roles in _The Professional_ and _True Romance_ but when your talent and skills are as diverse as his, one role is going to be hard to find. Others in that category: Meryl Streep Gene Hackman Judi Dench Tommy Lee Jones Robert Duvall Glenn Close Lee J. Cobb Bette Davis [/QUOTE] I’d add Anthony Hopkins to that list. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/7 "2007-04-06T15:45:32Z")
I’d add Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/8 "2007-04-06T15:46:41Z")
[QUOTE=BMalion] I’d add Anthony Hopkins to that list. [/QUOTE] No way, IMO. Hopkins is always going to be Hannibal the cannibal. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/9 "2007-04-06T15:50:28Z")
[QUOTE=Annie-Xmas] I’d add Robin Williams and Jack Nicholson [/QUOTE] As much as Jack has shown his range in a wide assortment of roles, I believe _One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest_ displays his talents as well as any single role. I tend to agree on Robin. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/10 "2007-04-06T15:53:15Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] Others in that category: Meryl Streep Gene Hackman Judi Dench Tommy Lee Jones Robert Duvall Glenn Close Lee J. Cobb Bette Davis [/QUOTE] And Brando. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/11 "2007-04-06T15:58:37Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] And Brando. [/QUOTE] I started to have him on the list in the OP but couldn’t decide if Don Vito or Stanley Kowalski was the more definitive role. I do think it would have to be one of the two, though. He did some real sloppy work in any number of movies. Can you name another standout performance he did? Marc Antony maybe? The Wild One? Zapata? Fletcher Christian? ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/12 "2007-04-06T15:59:35Z")
Keanu Reeves: _Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure_ ---
**Author:** ![aldiboronti](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9fc348/32.png) [@aldiboronti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aldiboronti)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/13 "2007-04-06T16:01:19Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] How true. I’d nominate his roles in _The Professional_ and _True Romance_ but when your talent and skills are as diverse as his, one role is going to be hard to find. Others in that category: Meryl Streep Gene Hackman Judi Dench Tommy Lee Jones Robert Duvall Glenn Close Lee J. Cobb Bette Davis [/QUOTE] For Lee J. Cobb I’m torn between the obnoxious juror in _Twelve Angry Men_ and the detective in _The Exorcist_. I can’t believe that he’s been dead now for over thirty years, I guess that’s the thing about actors, it always feels as if they’re still with us. It’s difficult to choose with Pacino too. _Dog Day Afternoon_? _Scarface_? _The Godfather_? All of those three are etched in my memory. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/14 "2007-04-06T16:03:12Z")
Jim Carrey: _The Mask_ ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/15 "2007-04-06T16:07:26Z")
[QUOTE=aldiboronti] For Lee J. Cobb I’m torn between the obnoxious juror in _Twelve Angry Men_ and the detective in _The Exorcist_. I can’t believe that he’s been dead now for over thirty years, I guess that’s the thing about actors, it always feels as if they’re still with us. It’s difficult to choose with Pacino too. _Dog Day Afternoon_? _Scarface_? _The Godfather_? All of those three are etched in my memory. [/QUOTE] Cobb’s Johnny Friendly in _On The Waterfront_ needs mentioning, too. I’m with Pacino a lot like Nicholson: lots of range, but hard to top his GF1 performance. As much as I love _…And Justice For All_ it’s just another of his screaming roles. Name one that isn’t, if you can. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/16 "2007-04-06T16:13:07Z")
Let’s don’t limit this to older established actors. Can you pick **one role** for any of these folks: Johnny Depp Russell Crowe Leonardo DiCaprio Ethan Hawke Samuel L. Jackson Uma Thurman Halle Berry Gwyneth Paltrow Angelina Jolie Anna Pacquin Natalie Portman ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/17 "2007-04-06T16:13:34Z")
[QUOTE=Zeldar] I started to have him on the list in the OP but couldn’t decide if Don Vito or Stanley Kowalski was the more definitive role. I do think it would have to be one of the two, though. He did some real sloppy work in any number of movies. Can you name another standout performance he did? Marc Antony maybe? The Wild One? Zapata? Fletcher Christian? [/QUOTE] Sky Masterson. **swoon** And Terry Malloy, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Zeldar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b77776/32.png) [@Zeldar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zeldar)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/18 "2007-04-06T16:16:44Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] Sky Masterson. **swoon** And Terry Malloy, of course. [/QUOTE] I’ll give you Terry, but will refrain from the swoon part. I have read that Sinatra never had a kind word for Brando after he got the Sky role that Frank wanted. Frank withheld kind words from lots of stars, though, so Brando isn’t alone there. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/19 "2007-04-06T16:19:00Z")
Yeah, Frank Sinatra thinking you’re an asshole … this is bad, why? ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977/20 "2007-04-06T16:22:39Z")
Clint Eastwood will always be Harry Callahan to me. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-an-actors-entire-career-had-to-be-reduced-to-one-role/398977.md?page=2)